UMass Boston jumps 11 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s national rankings

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The University of Massachusetts Boston has jumped eleven spots in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges List, released this morning.

UMass Boston is ranked No. 104 in the Top Public Schools category.

The university also ranked No. 191 in the National Universities category, up 11 spots from 2017 (202), and 29 spots from 2016 (220). This is the third straight year UMass Boston has been ranked as a Tier One university.

“In Massachusetts, there is no more powerful engine of upward mobility than UMass Boston,” said UMass Boston Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman. “UMass Boston has the highest proportion of Pell recipients in the UMass system, and its success in graduating them in six years earned the university a huge bump in the national rankings—up 11 spots.”

The prestigious National University designation is reserved for comprehensive universities that offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs, and are committed to producing groundbreaking research. Of more than 3,000 four-year postsecondary institutions in the United States, only 312 universities are recognized with this classification.

UMass Boston was also noted for its ethnic diversity, and the university’s undergraduate business program is ranked No. 147, up four spots from No. 151 in 2017.

In January, U.S. News called out UMass Boston’s online programs for their excellence. UMass Boston was highlighted in three categories: Best Online Bachelor’s Programs, Best Online Business Programs, and Best Online Education Programs.

U.S. News & World Report's 2019 edition of Best Graduate Schools, released in March, included four UMass Boston graduate programs in the top 100: Master of Nursing (No. 66), Doctor of Nursing Practice (No. 73), Master's programs in public affairs (No. 77), and Graduate programs in education (No. 95). UMass Boston's part-time MBA program also made the 2019 edition, at No. 204.

All four of the UMass undergraduate campuses are rated in the top category in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings.

Schools are evaluated on up to 16 metrics that measure academic excellence, such as class size and average spending per student on areas like instruction and student services. The heaviest weight is placed on student outcomes, including retention and graduation weight.